Municipal Blondes
31
Sail away
MY PHONE CHIMED about the time I finished making my statement. It had taken about two hours before I felt like I could talk but they discharged me from the hospital into Jordan’s care with Cinnamon beside me. Everything had been recorded from the wire I wore, so I was able to fill in the visual record as the voices replayed in my ears.
A wake
“This is Deb Riley,” I said when I answered the line.
“Deb, it’s Cali Marx. I just got in. Can we meet for dinner?”
“Cali, I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been a terrible day. I… Um… Dag’s cousin Teresia is here, too. Do you mind having a few more people?”
“That would be fine. Let’s cap it at ten. The concierge here says he can get us a table at Trace for seven o’clock. That’s in the W Hotel. And don’t worry about the cost. It’s my little contribution to the memory of my dad. Okay?”
“Great. Thank you for calling, Cali. You’re a bright spot in a dark day. See you at seven.”
It took no time for Jordan and Cinnamon to agree to dinner. I’d already made arrangements to pick up Teresia, who was staying at a much less expensive hotel downtown. I called Teri and she said she was with Geoff watching his team play in Orlando. I didn’t know who else to invite, but on the spur of the moment I asked Mrs. Prior and Lars if they’d join us.
For having such a somber occasion, our dinner was still lively. Cali was a popular young actress and a few people came up to ask for an autograph or photo until the Maitre d’ simply stationed a waiter near us to direct people away. And then we were all telling stories of how we met Dag, what he’d done for us, and how we’d miss him.
Cali told about her mother falling in love with Dag and how they’d planned to get married. The story of the night Cali was kidnapped and her mother died was heartrending but also endearing as Cali said Dag had never missed a premiere of a movie she was in or even opening night of a play.
Jordan knew Cali from ‘the old days.’ He told about how he’d arrested Dag in order to get him out of the office with all the backup disks for the fraud he was investigating. He said that a few years ago they’d worked together to stop the world’s greatest hacker from starting World War III.
Teresia mentioned he’d been through Sweden with his mother a few years ago and was very mysterious about where he was traveling. She’d helped him dye his blonde hair before he left for an adventure in Asia that brought him back three weeks later looking sick and tired. A few days with the family, though, and he’d taken his mother back to Seattle. Jordan nodded and confirmed Dag had erased himself in order to make that trip.
Cinnamon, of course, had a story about how she’d attempted to seduce Dag and when she found out he was with me, had decided on a threesome that never quite materialized.
Lars talked about commanding Dag in the Navy and then waiting for him to show up in class at the college.
I told about tailing him in Las Vegas for three days and having to intentionally blow my cover so he’d discover me. It was also my first introduction to his heart condition as he had an attack that evening.
In all, we talked and laughed all evening and then said our goodbyes. It would be an early morning.
Goodbye, dear friend
People started arriving at my apartment at eight o’clock Sunday morning, New Year’s Eve. Teresia and Cali shared a cab from downtown and seemed like they were becoming fast friends. Teresia had heard Dag mention Cali on numerous occasions. I wondered why he’d never told me about her.
Dag’s high school girlfriend, Rhonda—the one who painted the seascape he loved—showed up just a few minutes before Lars Andersen. Mrs. Prior brought a batch of cinnamon rolls she’d baked that morning—thanks to Pillsbury. Jackie, the barista at Tovoni’s saved the day by bringing enough coffee for everyone and somehow having the perfect drink for each of us. And a cookie for Maizie.
I know there were others I should have invited. When Cinnamon and Jordan arrived, though, we were ready to go. Rhonda knew the exact spot. She’d painted it forty some years ago. I realized the only person in this room I knew six months ago was Lars Andersen, my thesis advisor. How things changed. It was like I’d suddenly entered a new solar system and a new sun is shining and new stars are in the night sky. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.
We loaded the cars—including Dag’s ashes and Maizie—and started the parade to the north end of Whidbey Island near Deception Pass.
It was awkward at times. There were no dry eyes. Hell, I could hardly see to drive up there. The sky was overcast but once we got off the Mukilteo Ferry on Whidbey Island, Teresia and I put the top down on the Mustang. It was just over forty degrees out but we cranked up the heater to the max and the volume on the radio. Maizie joined our singing with occasional howls.
Once we were parked, Rhonda showed us how to get down to the beach.
It was beautiful. I recognized it immediately, even though I’d only seen it in Rhonda’s painting. We walked down the path with Lars and Cinnamon helping Jordan. When the path opened out onto the beach, we all stopped short. A man stood by the edge of the water, wearing a winter coat with a hat pulled down over his ears. We followed his eyes as they gazed out across the endless expanse of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the open sea. While we silently watched, he turned and walked away toward the south. A black lab came running up to him and he threw a stick farther down the beach. The lab chased it and we watched until he was out of sight.
We walked slowly across the sand to the edge of the water and all stood where the man had been, looking out across the water.
None of us knew what to do. I held the urn cradled in my arms like a baby. We came here to say goodbye and all we could do was stand there silently looking out to sea for about fifteen minutes as each person made their way to touch the urn and then retreat. It was too bad none of us were particularly religious. We should have had some parting words to say. We should have said, “Sail away, old friend.” We should have said we loved him—there would never be anyone like him in this world. We should have said we’d see him in the next life. Or that I’d be worthy of the gift he’d given me.
But it was all silent until I knelt and unscrewed the cap on the urn. Then everyone just silently stepped away. They stepped back and left me there alone with Dag and Maizie. I stood up with the urn outstretched in my hands and started to slowly let the ashes fall.
I don’t know what suddenly gripped me—if it was Maizie’s bark or the sudden gust of wind—but the next thing I knew, I was spinning madly in a circle with the urn outstretched and ashes scattering in every direction and the wind picking them up in a huge cloud around me and Maizie jumping and snapping and barking like crazy.
When I finally stopped spinning, the urn was empty. The ashes had not yet settled but the wind was blowing them farther out on the water in a cloud. Everyone closed in around me and we all put our arms around each other and cried and waved at the cloud and said goodbye and I love you.
We stopped for a late lunch at a little diner in Edmonds, just so we didn’t have to part yet. We laughed at each other and set the empty urn on the table in a place of honor. We probably looked pretty weird to the staff and any passers-by. But we didn’t care.
It was finally time to go. Lars had agreed to take Teresia and Cali to the airport. The two women pulled me aside.
“Thank you, Deb Riley,” Teresia said formally. “I loved my cousin. In addition to everything else, he was a faithful guardian of my secrets. I am so glad he had you and that I can trust you with those same secrets.”
“Teresia,” I answered, “I don’t know what your secrets are, but they’ll be safe in the vault. I loved Dag, too, and even if I didn’t do it for you, I’d do it for his sake.”
“The same goes for me,” Cali said. “I had Dag do some investigative research for me about ten years ago. It was just before my mother died. I find I am still not ready to learn what he discovered. Perhaps when I marry and have children of my own, I’ll be ready to collect that research from you.”
“It is safe in my keeping, Cali. I’m so glad I met you and discovered Dag’s family. If ever I can do anything else for either of you, please don’t hesitate to call me. Thank you both for coming to see Dag off with us.”
“You have some strange customs,” Teresia laughed, “but it seemed like just the kind of thing he would do. I hope I’ll see you again sometime.”
Home in my pajamas, I held Maizie in my lap as I looked up at the painting. I’d decided to keep it hanging in the same place Dag had it and curled up in the recliner with our dog. I’d selected a CD at random from Dag’s collection and soothing tones were playing through the speakers.
I just heard a soft knock at my door. Someone has decided not to leave me alone on New Year’s Eve. I’m betting it’s Jordan.
Of course, it could be Cinnamon.
Or both.
You know what? Either way, I’m going to get kissed at midnight tonight.
The End
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